Art of protecting the ear-diaphragm and apparatus therefor.



A. A. MICHELSON All. 6. WILSON.

ART OF PROTECTING THE EAR DIAPHRAGM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV. in. 1911.

1,79,396Q Patented Sept. 17,1918.

w zzzz/arzzng A M MMM A UNITED srnrrns PATENT onnion.

ALBERT A. MICHELSON AND JOHN GORDON WILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISL ART OF PROTECTING THE EAR-DIAPHRAGM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

Application filed November 10, 1917. Serial N 0. 201,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT A. MICHEL- SON and JOHN GORDON WILSON, both resi- .of the ear canal.

county of Cook, and State dents of Chicago,

lnvented certain new and of Illinois, have useful Improvements in the Art of Protect- Apparatus ing the Ear-Diaphragm and Therefor, of fication.

The invention relates to improvements in the art of protecting the ear drum or diaphragm and seeks to exclude therefrom excessive air or-sound waves due to the 0011- cussion caused by the discharge of guns, but without interfering with the admission of ordinary sound waves. The invention conwhich the following a specislsts in the improved art herein described and claimed and in the improved apparatus or ear protector herein described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In accordance with the present invention a movable shield or valve-like member is interposed between the ear drum or diaphragm and the outer air and this shield is normally maintained in an open position to admit all ordinary sound waves but in a manner permitting the shift of the shield under impulse of excessive or intense sound waves to a closed position excluding the The apparatus or ear protector preferably employed is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a view showing the protector inserted in the outer por-' tion of the ear canal. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the improved protector shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is an inner end view of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modification.

The protector comprises an elongated bodyportion 1 formed of hard rubber, metal or the like and which is adapted to be inserted in the outer portion of the ear canal and to fit therein in substantially airtight fashion. Preferably, to avoid annoyance to the user, the body portion 1 is recessed to receive an encircling ring 2 of soft rubber or the like which projects beyond the body portion 1 and contacts with the inner wall Perferably also, to prevent the insertion of the device to too great an extent, the body portion is provided at its outer end with an enlarged hollow head 3 which, when in use,'lies opening of the ear canal.

The body portion is provided with a longitudinal passage 4 extending therethrough and a movable shield or valve-like guard 5 is arranged within the outer hollow head in front of'an annular tends about the-outer end of the passage 4:. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the shield or valve-like member'5 comprises a light, thin sheet metal disk which is preferably formed of aluminum and the peripheral portions of which are preferably inwardly dished or coned. The central shown, is outwardly dished or coned and is fixed to the outer end of a small wire stem 7. The latter extends through the passage 4 and is guided at its ends in spiders 8 seat 6 which ex just outside the portion of the disk as threaded into the passage or longitudinal bore 4 of the body portion. 7

The rear end of the stem 7 is provided with a stop 10-and a light,fine wire spring 11 coiled about its outer end extends between the disk or shield 5 and the adjacent guiding spider 8 and holds the movable parts 5and 7 in normal position with the stop 10 engaging the inner spider 8 and with the valve-like member or shield 5 open and spaced slightly away from the annular seat 6.

In the form shown in Fig. the shield or guard 5 is in the form of a flat, thin, sheet metal disk and it cooperates with a flanged seating member 6 also formed of thin sheet metal and inserted within the enlarged outer end portion of the passage or bore 4. The shield or guard 5 is held in normal open position slightly spaced from the seat 6' by a bow-shaped spring 12 which may be formed integral with the shield and its seat.

Preferably as shown, a fine, wire screen 13 for excluding dust and 'dirt extends over the outer face of the enlarged end or head 3 and is held in place thereon by a flanged collar 14 which fits upon the head.

In operation, the outer portion of the ear canal as shown in Fig. 1. Ordinary sound or air waves are readily admitted through the protector since the shield or guard is non-responsive there to. It is however of light Weight and the spring which holds it in normal, inoperative position, s aced slightly away from its seat, is also lig t so that the shield will readily the protector is inserted in resp 0nd to the excessive sound waves like those due to the concussion of a gun. The impact or impulse of such excessive sound er air waves against the shield will quickly shift it to closed position in contact with its seat and so exclude or prevent the impact of such excessive waves or vibrations against the ear drum or diaphragm.

It is to be understood that the details herein set forth may be varied without departure from the essentials of the invention as delined in the following claims,

- We claim asour invention 1. The improvement in the art of protect -m which consists in ine valve-like shield between the ear diaphragm and the outer air and normally maintaining the same in open position to admit ordinary sound waves but in a manner shield under impulse of excessive sound waves to a closed position for excluding the same. i

2. The improvement in theart of protecting the ear diaphragm which consists in interposing between the ear diaphragm and the outer air, a shield non-responsive to normal sound waves but yieldingly responsive to excessive sound waves to exclude the same from the ear diaphragm,

3. An ear protector having a passage therethrough for the admission of .normal ing the ear diaphra tel-posing a movab excessive sound waves for like shield for closing permitting the shift of said avaeee sound waves to the ear canal and it normally open valve like member responsive to closing said passage.

4. An ear protector comprising a body portion having a passage therethrough and arranged to exclude sound waves from the ear canal except through said passage, an a shield normally held in inoperative posi tion but shiftable by excessive sound waves to close said passage.

5. An ear protector comprising a body portion adapted to fit within the ear canal and having a passage mitting normal sound waves, and a valvesaid passage, said shield being normally spring-held in open position but adapted to be closed by excess sive sound waves.

6 An ear protector comprising an ,enlarged hollow, outer end portion or head and a body portion adapted to fit within the outer part of the ear canal and having a passage seat about the outer end of said passage, and

therethrough, said head having a.

die

therethrough for ada disk like shield in said head normally spring-held away from said seat but adapted to be shifted to closed position in contac therewith by excessive sound waves.

ALBERT A. IVHCHELSON. JOHN GORDON WILSON. 

